Multiple purpose furniture unit



Nov. 3', 1970 c. DI CARLO MULTIPLE PURPOSE FURNITURE UNIT ZShSBtS-ShBGt 1 Filed Nov. 18, 1968 INVENTOR. /vo .D/64/9L o Nov. 3, 1970 0. 0| CARLO I v 3,537,759 MULTIPLE PURPOSE FURNITURE UNIT Filed NOV; 18, 1968 r 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 6'0/vsm/Yr/N0 D/Gww United States Patent 3,537,769 MULTIPLE PURPOSE FURNITURE UNIT Constantino Di Carlo, 920 W. 6th St., San Pedro, Calif. 90731 Filed Nov. 18, 1968, Ser. No. 776,361 Int. Cl. A47b 85/00, 85/04, 95/18 US. Cl. 312-250 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention Multiple purpose furniture unit.

Description of the prior art I For many years there. has been a demand for a multiple. purpose furniture unit that could be used in confined spaces, such as apartments and the like, not only for decorative purposes, but one that is capable of being expanded to provide a horizontal surface at a desired elevation that could be used asa desk or table. In addition, the invention includes portions that may be separated therefrom and expanded to provide benches having seats that are of a desired elevation.

The present invention provides a compact cabinet that not only satisfies the above described demand, but one that is attractive in appearance when not in use.

' SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A cabinet thatmay be movably supported relative to a wall, andthe cabinet having a movable forward panel that may be selectively disposed at any one of a plurality of horizontal positions to define a desk or table. The cabinet. also includes removable side portions which after being separated from the cabinet may be expanded to provide benches for use with the horizontally disposed panel. The seats of the benches are adjustable to different elevations to permit the benches to be comfortably used with the horizontal desk defining panel irrespective of at which elevation the panel is disposed.

A major object of the present invention is to supply an attractive elongate vertical cabinet that may be movably secured to a wall, and one that can be expanded to supply not only a desk' or table defining surface of a desired elevation, but to provide one or more benches that are vertically adjustable as to the height of the seat thereof BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wall supported enclosed cabinet that may have a forwardly disposed panel that forms a part thereof horizontally positioned to provide a desk of a desired height, with a side portion of the cabinet capable of being separated therefrom and expanded to supply a bench that may be adjusted to a height that will conform to the height of the desk;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the cabinet;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cabinet after being expanded to provide a desk and bench for use therewith;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged front elevational view of the portion of the cabinet that has the control for the height of thedesk defining panel mounted thereon;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of a portion of one of the supporting legs for the desk defining panel taken on the line 55 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary vertical crosssectional view of the desk defining panel taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the cabinet taken on the line 77 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view of the bench taken on the line 88 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the bench taken on the line 99 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the bench with the legs in folded positions; and

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary transverse cross-sectional view of the bench taken on the line 1111 of FIG. 8.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The multiple purpose furniture unit A shown in FIGS. 1, 2', and 3 includes an elongate vertical cabinet B that is movably supported on a wall C by fastening means D. Cabinet B has an opening in the front thereof that is normally closed by a movable rigid panel E.

Panel B may be selectively disposed at any one of a number of horizontal positions by an elevation control mechanism F, shown in FIG. 7. When the panel E is so horizontally positioned, the outer end of the panel is supported by first vertically adjustable leg means G shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. At least one bench H is preferably provided that is normally in a collapsed position and supported on the upper end of a door I that is pivotally connected to the cabinet B. Each bench assembly H includes second leg means K that by manually adjustable means L may be selectively caused to assume any one of a number of possible positions where the seat 10 of the bench is at a usable elevation relative to the panel B when it defines a desk or table surface.

The cabinet B, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, includes two elongate side pieces 12, a back 14, and top 16. First cabinets 18 and first document holding compartments 20 occupy the upper interior portion of the cabinet B. Shelves 22 are contained in cabinet B below the document holding compartments 20, as may be seen in FIG. 3.

Panel E has a pair of rollers 24 rotatably supported from a first end 26 thereof, as shown in FIG. 3. Rollers 24 rotatably engage vertical tracks 28 supported on the forward edges of side pieces 12, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7. Each side piece 12 has a second side piece 12a that is spaced inwardly therefrom, as shown in FIG. 7.

Each side piece 12a supports a transverse bolt 30 that pivotally supports an arm 32, with each arm having a flange 34 that projects from the upper edge thereof. The side pieces 12a each have brackets 36 secured to the interior surfaces thereof, as shown in FIG. 7. The brackets 36 have upper portions 38 that are pressure contacted by the lower ends of adjustment screws 40 that are rotatably supported in tapped bores (not shown) formed in the flanges 34. The control mechanism F includes two levers 42 that have the lower ends thereof pivotally connected to the arms 32 by pins 44. One of the pins 44 is shown in FIG. 7. Each lever 42 has an outwardly extending pin 46 at the top thereof that moves in an arcuate slot 48 formed in one of the sidewalls 12. A number of spaced openings 50 are formed in each side piece 12 below the slot 48 therein. Each opening 50 may be removably engaged by a pin 52.

The levers 42 each have pins 54 at intermediate positions thereon that pivotally engage first ends of elongate links 56, which links on second ends thereof pivotally engage pins 58 that are held at fixed positions relative to the surface 60 of panel E by brackets 62.

First leg means G includes a right rectangular sheet 64 that rotatably supports rollers 65 that engage tracks 67 formed in grooves 69 in the panel E, as shown in FIG. 6. Elongate members 66 are pivotally connected by hinges 66a and 66b to panel E and sheet 64.

Two vertically adjustable legs 70 are mounted on the lower exterior side surfaces of the sheet 64, as may be seen in FIG. 1. Two scales 72 are defined on sheet 64 adjacent the upper portions of the legs 70. The upper edges of the legs 70 may be selectively aligned with any one of the graduations of the scales 72. Each graduation is identified by a particular member of a group of number M that are defined on the surface 68 of sheet 64.

Each set of openings 50 is identified by a set of numbers M that are identical to the numbers M. When it is desired to dispose the panel E in a horizontal position at a desired elevation, the legs 70 are adjusted to align the upper edges thereof with the numbers M of that elevation, and the pins 52 moved to openings 50 that are identified by numbers M' of that elevation. The panel E may now be swung downwardly from the position shown in FIG. 1 to that shown in FIG. 3, with the control mechanism F and first leg means G cooperating to firmly hold the panel at the selected horizontal position. A receptacle 74 is provided on the left-hand end of the panel B as viewed in FIG. 3 in which papers may be placed. The papers will not fall from the receptacle 74 when the panel B is moved to the vertical position shown in FIG. 1. In the event the panel B should become out of alignment with the opening 74 in the front of cabinet B, the screws 40 may be rotated to vertically adjust the control means F to correct the misalignment.

The cabinet B, as may best be seen in FIG. 2, is movably supported on floor 76 by casters 78. A convenient form of fastening means D is also shown in FIG. 2. Fastening means D includes a set of first rollers 80 that are rotatably supported from the upper portion of the cabinet B and engage a horizontal track 82 secured to the wall C. The wall C has a sill 84 extending along the lower portion thereof that supports a rail 86. Grooved rollers 88 rotatably secured to the back 14 of cabinet B engage the rail 86.

Doors J are pivotally supported from the lower portions of side pieces 12 by hinges 90. Each door has a pin 92 extending from the surface 94 thereof that can removably engage a catch 96 to hold the door in abutting relationship with the side piece 12 with which it is associated. Each door I has two laterally spaced slots 98 in the upper edge portion thereof. Each door I also includes a cam member 100 that is afiixed thereto, as shown in FIG. 3, and located between the two slots 98.

Each bench H, as may best be seen in FIGS. 3 and 8 to 11, includes a rectangular seat 102 that has two rails 104 extending along the longitudinal sides thereof. The second leg means K includes two transverse shafts 106. Each shaft 106 rotatably supports a pair of rollers 108 that movably engage the rails 104, as may be seen in FIG. 11.

Each shaft 106 pivotally supports two laterally spaced legs 110 that are connected by a flat cross-member 112. The edge 112a of each cross-member 112 is disposed above the lower ends 110a of legs 110, as may be seen in FIG. 8. Each cross-member 112 has an L-shaped engageable member 114 secured to the portion thereof adjacent edge 112a, as shown in FIG. 8. Seat 102 has two end pieces 116 secured to the underside thereof. Each end piece 116 has a member 118 secured thereto by a hinge 120, which member extends toward one of the cross-members 112, as may be seen in FIG. 8, and is connected thereto by a hinge 122.

Each shaft 106 has a tensioned helical spring 124 extending therefrom to a transverse strip 126 secured to the underside of seat 102, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. Two longitudinally spaced transverse members 128 are provided, each of which abuts against the lower surface of seat 102 and is longitudinally adjustable relative thereto. Each member 128 has a longitudinal slot 130 therein through which a screw 132 extends that is aflixed to the seat 106. Each screw 132 is engaged by a wing nut 134.

The members 128 each have stops 136 mounted on the edge portions 128a thereof that limit the inward movement of the legs 110 toward one another, as well as the angulation of the legs 110 relative to the seat 102. The degree of angulation of the legs 110 determines the height at w'iich the seat 102 is supported above the floor surface 7 A sequence of numbers N is imprinted on each member 128, and each member when aligned with screw 132 visually indicating the elevation at which the seat 102 is disposed when legs 110 occupy the positions shown in FIG. 8.

When the legs 110 are pivoted upwardly to lie parallel to the seat 102, as shown in FIG. 10, the engageable members 114 contact engaging members 136. The engaging members 136 are mounted on a block 138 that is pivotally supported by a bolt 140 that extends downwardly from the seat 102.

A tensioned helical spring 142 at all times tends to maintain block 138 in the angular position shown in FIG. 9 relative to two spacer blocks 144. When the block 138 is transversely aligned with blocks 140 the engaging I1n1e4mbers 136 are out of contact with engageable members The engageable members 114 as the legs 110 are pivoted toward the position shown in FIG. 10 contact the engaging members 136 and pivot the block 138 toward transverse alignment with the spacer blocks 144 until the engageable members have moved above the engaging members whereupon the spring 142 returns the block 138 to the position shown in FIG. 9. The legs 110 are 232v removably locked parallel to the underside of seat An elongate trigger bar 146 is slidably mounted on the underside of seat 102, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 and on a first end, is pivotally conected by a pin 148 to block 138. Bar 146 projects slightly from one end of seat 102, as shown in FIG. 8. Two lugs 148 also project from the end of the seat 102 from which bar 146 extends.

When the legs 110 are disposed in abutting relation- ShlP with seat 102, the lugs 148 may be disposed in slots 98 slightly recessed so that the projecting end 146a of the trigger bar 146 is not in contact with the door when the bench H is supported thereon, as shown in FIG. 1.

If one of the doors I is swung outwardly, and the bench H raised directly upwardly therefrom, the bench may be carried in a horizontal position to a desired location with the legs 110 locked to the seat, as shown in FIG. 10. When the desired location is reached, the trigger bar 146 is pressed inwardly to disengage the engageable members 114 and engaging members 136, whereupon the legs will pivot by gravity and, with the assistance of springs 124, to the positions shown in FIG. 8.

However, if the bench H is concurrently moved upwardly and forwardly toward the user (not shown) as it is removed from the door I, the end 146a of pivot bar 146 contacts cam member 100 and by so doing momentarily moves block 138 into alignment with blocks 44. The second leg assemblies K are now free to move by gravity and action of springs 124 to the seat supporting positions shown in FIGS. 3 and 8.

The positions to which the members 128 have been adjusted determines the angulation to which the legs 110 may move for seat supporting purposes. The members 128 have stops 148 thereon that are contacted by the shafts 106, as shown in FIG. 9.

It will be particularly noted in FIGS. 1 and 3 that the thickness of each door I, bench assembly H, and the upper outer portion 125 of the side piece 12 with which they are associated is such that a substantially flat vertical surface is provided when the door and bench assembly are in the positions shown in FIG. 1. Although it is preferable for both sides of the cabinet B to include bench assemblies H, it will be apparent that one side only of the cabinet may be so constructed, if desired.

The use of the invention A after it has been expanded to the position shown in FIG. 3 is of course obvious. When it is no longer desired to use the invention A as a desk or table, the procedure previously described in expanding the device is simply reverted. The invention A is then in the form shown in FIG. 1.

I claim:

1. A multiple purpose furniture unit which includes:

(a) a rectangular cabinet that includes two opposite vertical side pieces and a cfront that has a vertically termined range.

(b) a vertically extending panel that normally closes said opening; 7

(c) first means for so movably supporting said panel from said cabinet that said panel can be selectively moved to any one of a plurality of horizontal positions of different elevations to define a desk or table surface;

(d) first vertically adjustable leg means so pivotally mounted on said panel as to support an outer portion of said panel when said panel is in one of said horizontal positions;

(e) at least one vertical door pivotally supported from the lower external surface of one of said side pieces and capable of .abutting thereagainst, and said side piece including an upper outwardly extending portion that has an outer surface that lies in substantially the same vertical plane as the outer surface of said door when said door abuts against said side pieces; and

('f) a flat rectangular bench assembly that removably en'gages the upper edge portion of said door and extends between said door and upper portion of said side piece when said door abuts against said side piece, with said bench assembly when removed from said door capable of being expanded to provide a bench that selectively occupies any one of a plurality of predetermined heights, and the height so selected being that one at which said bench can be comfortably used with said panel when said panel is in a particular one of said horizontal positions that it may occupy. I

2. A multiple purpose furniture unit as defined in claim 1 in which the thickness of said bench assembly is substantially the same as that of said door and the upper outwardly extending portion of said sidewall whereby said door, bench assembly, and upper portion cooperate to define a substantially continuous co-planar surface when said door and bench assembly abut against said sidewall.

3. A multiple purpose furniture unit as defined in claim 1 in which said first means includes:

( a pair of vertical tracks on the lower forward edges of said side pieces;

(h) a pair of rollers rotatably supported from a first end of said panel that movably engage said tracks;

(i) two levers pivotally supported inside said cabinet adjacent the interior surfaces of said side piece;

(j) two pins that extend outwardly from the free ends of said levers through transversely aligned arcuate slots in said side pieces;

(k) two links pivotally connected to said levers and to v edge portions of said panel; and

(1) second means for limiting the forward movement of said levers to hold said first end of said panel at a desired elevation, and said panel being disposed at a horizontal position at said desired elevation when said first leg means are adjusted to an elevation to effect such horizontal positioning.

4. A multiple purpose furniture unit as defined in claim 3 wherein a plurality of transversely spaced and transversely aligned openings are provided in said side pieces adjacent said slots, and said second means comprise two pins that may be manually placed in any two of said transversely aligned openings to limit the forward movement of said levers.

5. A multiple purpose furniture unit as defined in claim 4 wherein said first vertically adjustable leg means further includes:

(m) a rectangular rigid sheet pivotally supported from the upper portion of said panel when said panel is in a cabinet closing position;

(n) two laterally spaced legs adjustably mounted on said sheet for vertical movement relative thereto; and

(0) visual means on said sheet for indicating the height at which said legs will hold said panel when said panel extends outwardly from said cabinet.

6. A multiple purpose furniture unit as defined in claim 5 which further includes:

(p) visual means on said side pieces for indicating the height at which said links will hold said first end of said panel when said panel is in an outwardly extending position relative to said cabinet and said pins are in a particular pair of said openings.

7. A multiple purpose furniture unit as defined in claim 3 which further includes:

(m) two arms pivotally supported from the interior surfaces of said side pieces, and first ends of said arms of said levers are pivotally connected thereto and extend upwardly therefrom; and

(n) third manually adjustable means for pivoting said arms to bring said panel into alignment with said forward opening in said cabinet when said panel is in a vertical closing position.

8. A multiple purpose furniture unit as defined in claim 1 wherein said bench assembly further comprises:

(g) a rectangular seat including two rails that extend along the longitudinal sides thereof, as Well as two end pieces;

(h) two longitudinally spaced transverse shafts;

(i) two pairs of rollers rotatably supported on the ends of said shafts, which rollers movably engage said rails;

(j) two pairs of legs pivotally shafts;

(k) two cross-members, each of which cross-members have one of said pairs of legs connected to two opposite sides thereof;

(1) two rigid members pivotally connected to said end pieces and said cross-members;

(m) two longitudinally spaced and longitudinally adjustable stop supporting members on said seat that limit the extent to which said legs and shafts can move inwardly toward one another when said legs are supporting said seat;

(n) engageable means on the outer ends of said crossmembers;

(o) a spring-loaded block pivotally supported from said seat between said stop supporting members;

(p) engaging meanson said block that engage said engageable means for holding said legs in substantially parallel relationship relative to said seat and disposed adjacent thereto; and

supported from said (q) trigger means for momentarily pivoting said block into a position where said engaging means releases said engageable means and said legs move by force of gravity to positions to support said seat at a desired elevation above a floor surface on which said legs rest.

9. A multiple purpose furniture unit as defined in claim 8 wherein said trigger means comprises a longitudinally extending bar slidably supported on said seat and pivotally connected on a first end to said block, with a second end thereof projecting beyond one of said end pieces, which bar when moved inwardly toward said end piece most adjacent thereto pivots said block to allow said legs to move to positions to support said bench.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,042,978 7/1962 Eames et al. 52-32 3,378,325 4/1968 Moyer 312-250 X 3,436,768 4/1969 Dauwalder 5-2 3,475,769 11/ 1969 Fasanella 52 CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

10. A multiple purpose furniture unit as defined in 15 claim 9 which further includes: 

